Mini exhaust and power steering question

[GeorgeD]

HI
I have a hole in my exhaust, I dont want to weld it up cause thats the first place it will start rusting. Who are the best guys to get to for a mini cooper s
replacement / aftermarket exhaust. obviously my gut tells me to go for a stainless steel free flow, maybe a 65mm? any advice??

I also have a whining power steering, had it since i bought the car. The dealers and the previous owner assure me that there's nothing wrong but it sounds crap. do all minis have that sound and if not, what could be the most likely culprit.

 

[Mike1]

hey there

I will let the modders talk about the exhausts with you.

Have you checked the fluid is topped up? I never hear a whine from our cars.

Mike

 

[Skwinty]

What year is your cooper s?

You can put a free flow aftermarket exhaust on but unless you change the exhaust manifold, don't expect a major gain in performance.

I would suggest your repair your exhaust and remove the cat.
See how you like the decat and then decide if you want to spend a good few thousand bucks to upgrade the exhaust.

I started my mods with a 15% pulley and a decat. Now I have a JCW cat back and magnaflow manifold.

Noisy but 23kw power gain. Of course if you have a turbo mini, then things are a bit different wrt the exhaust.

 

[GeorgeD]

hey there

I will let the modders talk about the exhausts with you.

Have you checked the fluid is topped up? I never hear a whine from our cars.

Mike

Fluid is fine. It sounds to me like the pump is giving in, but both the dealer and the previous owner assure me that this isn't the case. I guess at the end of the day I should take it to a BMW service centre just to be sure.
Thanks.

---

What year is your cooper s?

You can put a free flow aftermarket exhaust on but unless you change the exhaust manifold, don't expect a major gain in performance.

I would suggest your repair your exhaust and remove the cat.
See how you like the decat and then decide if you want to spend a good few thousand bucks to upgrade the exhaust.

I started my mods with a 15% pulley and a decat. Now I have a JCW cat back and magnaflow manifold.

Noisy but 23kw power gain. Of course if you have a turbo mini, then things are a bit different wrt the exhaust.

Hey.
It's a 2005. Performance isn't a major concern at the moment as it's the wife's car. But what kind of husband would I be If I didn't play around with it a bit.

Here is the new problem, Just came back from HiQ and they can't find a problem with the exhaust, They do however agree with me that it sounds like theres a hole. Wonder if somethings off with the silencer or the airbox??

 

[RandomGRK]

I also have a whining power steering, had it since i bought the car. The dealers and the previous owner assure me that there's nothing wrong but it sounds crap. do all minis have that sound and if not, what could be the most likely culprit.

My mini is a 2004 and it also whines. Been like that since the day I got it brand new and apparently its quite normal. If you do a quick google search with mini + steering + whine you will see what im talking about.

"The power elemnt is electrohydraulic. The hydraulic pump is powered by an electric motor rather than been engine driven. When the steering wheel is turned the pump produces the characteristic whine that is unique to the Mini."
http://www.ukmini2ownersclub.com/fo...D=784&title=why-does-the-minis-steering-whine

 

[GeorgeD]

I also have a whining power steering, had it since i bought the car. The dealers and the previous owner assure me that there's nothing wrong but it sounds crap. do all minis have that sound and if not, what could be the most likely culprit.

My mini is a 2004 and it also whines. Been like that since the day I got it brand new and apparently its quite normal. If you do a quick google search with mini + steering + whine you will see what im talking about.

"The power elemnt is electrohydraulic. The hydraulic pump is powered by an electric motor rather than been engine driven. When the steering wheel is turned the pump produces the characteristic whine that is unique to the Mini."
http://www.ukmini2ownersclub.com/fo...D=784&title=why-does-the-minis-steering-whine

Hey randomgrk.
Thanks, this has been a relative headache but I'm getting more confirmation that it should whine. I have however added a ATF treatment with a seal conditioner and this limits the whining to sharp turns and parking. I think I would still like to replace all the seals at some time.